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(11) | EP 0 004 692 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Method for forming channels of high fluid conductivity in formation parts around a borehole |
| (57) A method for forming channel of high fluid conductivity in relatively soft acid-soluble
formation parts around a bore-hole penetrating such formation. said method comprising
the sequential steps of:
1) installing a casing in the well, and introducing in the wall of the casing a plurality of perforations arranged over at least part of the said wall where facing the formation; 2) inducing in the formation a fracture communicating with the perforations and containing a viscous fluid: 3) injecting an acid solution through the perforations into the fracture at a pressure at which the fracture remains open, the viscosity ratio between the viscous fluid and the acid solution being chosen such that the viscous fluid is displaced in the fracture in an unstable manner by the acid solution; 4) continuing the injection of the acid solution through the perforations until channels have been etched in areas of the fracture walls that face each other; 5) injecting a viscous carrying fluid carrying a propping agent through the perforations into the fracture at a pressure at which the fracture remains open, the viscosity of the carrying fluid being at least equal to the viscosity of the acid solution; 6) continuing the injection of the carrying fluid and the propping agent until propping agent is present in the fracture between at least part of those areas of the fracture walls wherein channels have been etched; 7) lowering the fluid pressure in the fracture, thereby allowing the fracture walls to be displaced to closing position, in which position the walls of the channels are supported by propping agent; and 8) lowering the viscosity of the viscous fluids. |
[0001] The invention relates to a method for forming channels of high fluid conductivity in formation parts around a borehole penetrating such formation. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for forming channels of high fluid conductivity in relatively soft acid-soluble formations, such as chalk formations.
[0002] The majority of the known techniques designed for increasing the productivity of formations surrounding a borehole applies a combination of formation fracturing and acid treatment. A propping agent may optionally be added for further increasing the productivity.
[0003] A large variety of these techniques is known. In the British patent specification No. 672,789, a method is described wherein the formation is fractured by injecting a viscous fracturing medium which has optionally a propping agent added thereto. Subsequently, an acid solution may be injected into the fracture to reduce the viscosity of the fracturing medium and to react with the formation.
[0004] U.S. patent specification No. 2,689,009 mentions the injection at fracturing pressure of a viscous emulsion of a mineral acid and an oily vehicle, which emulsion carries a propping agent and is followed by the injection of a plain acid.
[0005] U.S. patent specification No. 3,044,549 describes the injection of a mixture of oil, acid and propping agent at fracturing pressure into an oil-containing formation.
[0006] U.S. patent specifications Nos. 3,285,340 and 3,481,401 both mention fracturing by means of a viscous medium, followed by the passage of a propping agent into the fracture. Subsequently, the fracture is closed and acid is injected through the fracture containing the propping agent. The agent is either deformable and acid-resistant, or permeable and filled with a surfactant. The agent locally protects the fracture wall against attack by the acid, as a result whereof pillars are created in the fracture walls where these are contacted by the propping agent.
[0007] U.S. patent specification No. 3,61+2,068 describes fracture formation by means of a viscous medium followed by the passage of a propping agent into the fracture. The agent is shifted to a remote location in the fracture by means of an acid that etches those parts of the fracture walls that are close to the borehole. Subsequently the fracture is closed.
[0008] U.S. patent specification No. 3,842,911 describes the formation of a fracture and the introduction of propping agent into the fracture, followed by a complete closure of the fracture on the propping agent and the injection of acid under conditions at which the fracture remains closed.
[0009] Finally, U.S. patent specification 3,768,564 mentions the formation of a fracture without using a propping agent, acidizing the open fracture, and continuing said acidization after the fracture has been closed.
[0010] None of these prior art techniques, however, gives a solution for increasing the productivity of relatively soft acid-soluble formations such as chalk formations. Propping agents in fractures formed in such soft formations have been found to have hardly any effect since the propping agents are being embedded for part thereof in the fracture walls after the fracture has been allowed to close. Also, in case a channel system is formed in the fracture walls by etching the surfaces of the fracture walls by means of an acid, the channel system formed by such etching is found to collapse and fill up with chalk after the fracture has been allowed to close.
[0011] Object of the invention is a method for creating channels in a relatively soft acid-soluble underground formation to increase the productivity thereof, by application of a fracture in this formatbn and acid-etching the walls thereof in such a manner that the channels are substantially kept intact after the fracture has been allowed to close.
[0012] The method according to the invention comprises the sequential steps of:
1) installing a casing in the well,and introducing in the wall of the casing a plurality of perforations arranged over at least part of said wall where facing the formation;
2) inducing in the formation a fracture communicating with the perforations and containing a viscous fluid;
3) injecting an acid solution through the perforations into the fracture at a pressure at which the fracture remains open, the viscosity ratio between the viscous fluid and the acid solution being chosen such that the viscous fluid is displaced in the fracture in an unstable manner by the acid solution;
4) continuing the injection of the acid solution through the perforations until channels have been etched in areas of the fracture walls that face each other;
5) injecting a viscous carrying fluid carrying a propping agent through the perforations into the fracture at a pressure at which the fracture remains open, the viscosity of the carrying fluid being at least equal to the viscosity of the acid solution;
6) continuing the injection of the carrying fluid and the propping agent until propping agent is present in the fracture between at least part of those areas of the fracture walls wherein channels have been etched;
7) lowering the fluid pressure in the fracture, thereby allowing the fracture walls to be displaced to closing position, in which position the walls of the channels are supported by propping agent; and
8) lowering the viscosity of the viscous fluids.
[0013] The invention will be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the drawing, wherein:
Figure 1 shows schematically a vertical section across a borehole penetrating a subsurface formation;
Figure 2 shows on a larger scale than Figure 1 the section II-II across the fracture formed in the formation;
Figure 3 shows the section of Figure 2, when acid is being injected into the fracture;
Figure 4 shows the section of Figure 3, when a channel system has been acid-etched in the fracture walls;
Figure 5 shows the section of Figure 4, when propping agent carried by a medium more viscous than the fracturing medium has been introduced into the fracture;
Figure 6 shows the section of Figure 5, after the fracture has been allowed to close;
Figure 7 shows the section of Figure 4, when propping agent carried by a medium less viscous than the fracturing medium but more viscous than the acid has been introduced into the fracture; and
Figure 8 shows the section of Figure 7, after the fracture has been allowed to close.
[0014] The formation 1 shown in Figure 1 of the drawing substantially consists of chalk containing hydrocarbons in the pore space thereof, which hydrocarbons are to be produced via the borehole or well 2 which penetrates the chalk formation 1 as well as the overlying formation 3. The well 2 is completed with equipment that is normally used for that purpose. Therefore, no details thereof are being shown in the drawing.
[0015] To increase the productivity of the formation 1 by the method of the present invention, a vertical fracture 4 is first formed in the formation part around the well 2 by injecting a viscous fracturing fluid into the formation. This fluid is passed from the interior of the well 2 into the pore space of the formation 1 via perforations 5 that have been shot in the casing 6 of the well 2. The fluid is injected at a pressure adapted for fracturing the formation 1.
[0016] Apart from viscous fluids,non-viscous fluids may also be applied for fracturing the formation in the method according to the present invention. When using a non-viscous fracturing fluid (which may have added fluid-loss preventing agents thereto), a viscous fluid is subsequently injected into the fracture formed by the non-viscous fluid, which latter fluid is thereby displaced from the fracture.
[0017] The viscous fracturing fluids that may be used in the present method preferably do not contain acid components in amounts that are suitable for etching appreciable parts of the walls of the fracture. Relatively small amounts of acids, however, may be present, such as required for breaking the viscosity of the fluid after a predetermined period when the fluid pressure in the fracture has been released. Examples of viscous fluids that may be used in the present method are gelled water, hydrocarbon-in-water emulsions, water-in-hydrocarbon emulsions, and gelled hydrocarbons. A viscosity breaker may be added to the viscous fluid, which breaks the viscosity of this fluid after a predetermined time interval, either under influence of the temperature prevailing in the fractured formation, or by a retarded chemical reaction, or by any other mechanism. Such viscosity breakers are known per se, and need not be described in detail. The same applies for the fracturing fluid (either viscous or non-viscous), the viscosifying agents and fluid-loss preventing agents that are optionally incorporated therein, and the injection pressures that have to be used to induce a fracture.
[0018] Any one of the fluid applied in the present method may have added fluid-loss preventing agents therein.
[0019] The fracture 4, after being induced, is kept open by supplying viscous fluid thereto at a sufficiently high pressure. The walls 7 and 8 of the fracture 4 (see Figure 2 that shows an enlarged detail of section II-II of Figure 1) are thus kept at a distance of several millimetres from one another, and the space between these walls contains the viscous fluid 9.
[0020] Subsequently, an acid solution is pumped down the well under a pressure at which the solution will enter the fracture 4 and keep the walls thereof separated from each other. The solution enters the fracture 4 through the perforations 5 in the casing 6, which perforations are distributed over that part of the casing 6 that faces the oil-producing part of the formation 1. By a suitable choice of the composition of the fracturing fluid, the original viscosity thereof is substantially maintained at least over the period during which the acid solution is being injected into the fracture that contains the viscous fracturing medium. The acid is injected at a pressure sufficiently high to prevent closing of the fracture 4.
[0021] The viscosity ratio between the viscous fluid present in the fracture and the acid solution is chosen such that the displacement of the viscous fluid in the fracture by the acid solution that is being introduced into the fracture, is instable, which results in a so-called "fingering" of the acid solution through the viscous mass of the fluid. Such instable displacement is reached already at relatively low values of the viscosity ratio, such as in the order of 50. To keep the cross-sectional areas of the flow paths of the acid sufficiently small so as to promote a desirable extension of these flow paths in the fracture in a lateral sense with respect to the well, this viscosity ratio may be increased to a value of 150 or thereabove. An excellent fingering displacement will be reached at a viscosity ratio between 200 and 300.
[0022] It will be appreciated that the use of a plurality of perforations 5 in the vertical casing 6 and arranged at vertically spaced levels over the casing part facing the oil-containing formation 1, results in a plurality of fingering flow paths 10 of the acid through the viscous fluid present in the fracture, which flow paths are substantially evenly distributed over the height of the fracture 4.
[0023] The fingering paths 10 followed by the acid solution and originating from the perforations 5 form the base of a channel system that is subsequently being etched in the walls 7 and 8 of the fracture 4 by the action of the acid solution on the material of the walls during the continued injection of the acid into the fracture 4. Figure 3 shows the section of Figure 2, when the acid solution 11 is being passed therethrough in the initial stage of the acid injection step. The path followed by the acid solution 11 is bounded by the fracture walls 7 and 8 and by the viscous fluid 9 present in the fracture. Figure 4 shows the section of Figure 2 at a certain moment during the continued injection of the acid solution 11, which during its passage along the fingering paths 10 has dissolved those parts of the walls 7 and 8 of the fracture that are contacted by the acid, thereby forming a channel system consisting of matching channels 12 and 13 in the walls 7 and 8, respectively.
[0024] It will be appreciated that a large variety of acids, either inorganic or organic, is available, which acids are capable for etching the particular formation that is to be treated by the method of the invention. For etching a chalk formation, use may be made of aqueous solutions of hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, formic acid or mixtures thereof. Retarders may be added to such solutions if considered necessary. To protect the equipment in the borehole or well 2, it is often advisable to add corrosion inhibitors to the solution. In an alternative manner, solutions may be used wherein the acid is formed in situ in the formation by means of a retarded chemical reaction. Such solutions are known per se and do not require any detailed description.
[0025] After the channels 12 and 13 have been etched to an appreciable depth, the injection of the acid solution is stopped and a viscous fluid 14 carrying a propping agent is injected down the well 1 through the perforations 5 and into the fracture 4. The viscosity of this fluid 14 carrying the propping agent is chosen equal to or higher than the viscosity of thelfluid 9 (and consequently higher than the viscosity of the acid solution 11). As a result thereof a stable displacement is reached between the carrying fluid 14 and the fluid 9 together with the acid solution 11, and the fracture 4 becomes filled with the fluid 14 over the total height thereof (see Figure 5) on continued injection of this fluid. Since a propping agent is incorporated in the carrying fluid 14, the fracture 4 will also be filled with propping agent over substantially the full height thereof. Injection of the carrying fluid with propping agent is continued until a dense packing of propping agent is present in the fracture 4.
[0026] The injection of the carrying fluid 14 takes place at a pressure sufficiently high to keep the fracture 4 open, and driving the fluid 9 (together with the spent acid solution 11) further into the formation 1. Propping agent and carrying fluid are injected in such quantities that the volume of the fracture 4 within the boundaries between which the etched channel system 15 extends (see Figure 1) is substantially filled with propping agent.
[0027] Propping agents suitable for being used in the method of the present invention are granular particles, such as silica sand. However, the invention is not restricted to the use of such sand, but any other propping agent having dimensions that allow the agent to be introduced into the fracture 4, and being resistant against the fluids and pressures prevailing in said fracture, may be applied as well. Examples are glass beads, granular particles of minerals, crushed coke particles or shells of nuts, such as walnuts or coconuts.
[0028] The carrying fluid 14 may be of the same composition as the fluid 9. The viscosity of the carrying fluid is chosen equal to, or somewhat higher than the viscosity of the fluid 9. The viscosity of the carrying fluid will automatically be broken down after a predetermined period, which breaking down may take place under influence of the temperature in the formation 1, by retarded chemical action or by any other suitable viscosity breaking agent with delayed action.
[0029] After the fracture volume between the walls 7 and 8 over the area in which the channel system 10 extends has been substantially filled with propping agent, the pressure in the fracture 4 is allowed to drop. The fracture walls 7 and 8 are then being displaced towards each other under influence of the formation pressure, thereby decreasing the width of the fracture and compressing the propping agent present therein. This process is accelerated when the viscosity of the carrier fluid 14 is breaking down.
[0030] Since the formation 1 consists of relatively soft material, the particles of the propping agent will for part thereof be embedded in the walls 7 and 8 of the fracture 4 (see Figure 6) when the fluid pressure in the fracture is lowered. At some places, the fracture 4 may even close completely, thereby locally embedding all those particles of the propping agent that are situated at the particular area. However, it has been found by laboratory experiments that the load distribution over the interior walls of the channels 12 and 13 differs from the load distribution over the non-etched parts of the walls 7 and 8 of the fracture 4, as a result whereof the interior walls of the channels will be supported by the particles of the propping agent present therein and the channels 12 and 13 will not collapse by the closing action of the walls 7 and 8 of the fracture 4. The channel system 10 that has been etched in the walls of the fracture 4 will thus remain open after the fluid pressure within the fracture has been allowed to fall below the fracturing pressure. This channel system 10 consists of a plurality of fingering passageways, each passageway leading from a distant location (or a plurality of distant locations) in the formation to a perforation 5 in the casing 6. Although the channels of the channel system 10 are filled with propping agent, these channels all have a relatively high fluid conductivity which will allow fluids from the formation 1 to reach the well 2 at relatively low pressure drop, thereby increasing the productivity of the well 2 to a considerable extent.
[0031] In the embodiment of the invention described with reference to Figures 1-6 of the drawing, a carrying fluid 14 (see Figure 5) has been used for the transport of propping agent, which carrying fluid has a viscosity equal to, or higher than the viscosity of the viscous fluid 9. However, the method according to the invention may also be performed by using a carrying fluid having a viscosity lower than the viscosity of the viscous fluid 9, but equal to or higher than the viscosity of the acid solution. The carrying fluid together with the propping agent. will then (when being injected via the perforations 5) preferentially displace the acid solution and consequently transport the particles of the propping agent along the fingering paths of the channel system 10 that have been followed earlier by the acid solution. Figure 7 shows the sectbn of Figure 4, wherein the acid 11 has been displaced by the carrying fluid 15 with propping agent. It will be appreciated that the viscous fluid 9 now remains in place, and that the walls 7 and 8 of the fracture 4 will be displaced towards the closing position on lowering the fluid pressure in the fracture and the simultaneous or subsequent breakdown of the viscosities of the fluids present in the fracture. The non-etched parts of the walls 7 and 8 of the fracture 4 then close completely, and the propping agent is caught in the passageway formed by the etched channels 12 and 13. The propping agent supports the channel walls and prevents collapse of the interior walls of the channels 12 and 13 by the formation pressure.
[0032] Summarizing it is observed that the invention relates to the placement of a propping agent in the channels that have been etched by acid action in the walls of an open fracture induced in a formation consisting of relatively acid-soluble soft rock. The channels correspond with the fingering paths that have been followed by a relatively non-viscous acid solution when such solution is being injected into the open fracture that contains viscous fluid. The acid is passed into the fracture via a plurality of perforations that are spaced along a casing part facing said fracture. On closing of the fracture, propping agent will be trapped in the channel spaces and support the walls of the channels against caving in under influence of the formation pressures.
[0033] The invention is not restricted to the use of any particular composition of viscous fluid, aqueous acid solution, carrying fluid or propping agent, as long as the viscosity ratio between the viscous fluid and the acid solution is chosen such that the viscous fluid is displaced by the acid solution in an unstable manner whereby fingering of the acid solution through the viscous fluid occurs. The viscosity of the carrying fluid should further be chosen at least equal to the viscosity of the acid solution.
[0034] Most remarkable results will be obtained by application of the method according to the present invention in acid-soluble formations having a Brinell hardness lower than 15. Equipment for measuring Brinell hardness has been described by A.C. van der Vlis in the lecture "Rock classification by a simple hardness test" presented on the Second Congress of the International Society of.Rock Mechanics (September 1970). Apart from chalk formations there are other types of calcium carbbn- ate formations, such as limestone, wherein the present method may be used with advantage.
[0035] It will be appreciated that notwithstanding all measures that are being taken to obtain an equal distribution of the acid solution over all the perforations, there may be one or more perforations that have a relatively high conductivity compared to the other perforations, and take the bulk volume of the acid solution that is being injected. In such case, a slug of carrying fluid carrying propping agent is injected into the well after the walls of the fracture part facing the said high-conductivity perforations have been etched to an appreciable depth. This slug will pass through said perforations and enter the etched part of the fracture. Following the slug, a diverting agent is passed into the well, which agent closes off the entry to the said high-conductivity perforations, such that the acid solution that is subsequently being injected will now pass through the remaining perforations. If desired, this procedure may be repeated more than once. Diverting agents, as well as the ways for placing and removing the same from the perforations are known per se and do not need to be described in detail.
[0036] Buffer fluids may be injected into the formation to be treated by the present method, such buffer fluids being injected between the fracturing fluid, the carrying fluid and the acid solution. If further desired, pretreatment fluids may be injected prior to the injection of the fracturing fluid.
[0037] The method of the present invention may also be applied in wells that deviate from the vertical and/or in wells that penetrate formations that fracture horizontally.
[0038] If the well should deviate from the vertical over the height of the formation to be fractured and be situated in the plane of the fracture, the direction of the minimum tectonic stress in the formation is ascertained, and the well is directionally drilled such that the axis thereof is non- vertical, but in a plane orthogonal to the said stress direction. On fracturing the formation, the well will then be in the plane of the fracture. Since the majority of formations has the direction of the minimum tectonic stress in a horizontal plane, the fracture plane will be arranged vertically in most cases. HoWever, the present method may be applied with equal good results in formations that fracture horizontally.
[0039] To ascertain the direction of the minimum tectonic stress, the formation may be fractured by supplying pressurized fracturing fluid to an uncased borehole in the formation, whereafter the orientation of the fracture thus formed is detected with respect to the hole. The hole may then be side- tracked at a level above the oil-containing formation, whereafter the lower part of this hole is redrilled by directional drilling in a manner such that the axis of the redrilled part of the well that passes through the oil-containing formation, extends in a plane parallel to the plane of the said fracture. After casing the borehole and perforating the casing, the formation may be fractured by supplying a pressurized fracturing fluid to the hole. The borehole will then be in the plane of the fracture.
[0040] It is observed that if the well is arranged in a plane orthogonal to the direction of the minimum tectonic stress, the perforations need not necessarily be arranged in this plane. Irrespective of the orientation of the perforations arranged in the wall of the casing, the formation will then be fractured such that the well lies in the plane of the fracture.
1) installing a casing in the well, and introducing in the wall of the casing a plurality of perforations arranged over at least part of the said wall where facing the formation;
2) inducing in the formation a fracture communicating with the perforations and containing a viscous fluid;
3) injecting an acid solution through the perforations into the fracture at a pressure at which the fracture remains open, the viscosity ratio between the viscous fluid and the acid solution being chosen such that the viscous fluid is displaced in the fracture in an unstable manner by the acid solution;
4) continuing the injection of the acid solution through the perforations until channels have been etched in areas of the fracture walls that face each other;
5) injecting a viscous carrying fluid carrying a propping agent through the perforations into the fracture at a pressure at which the fracture remains open, the viscosity of the carrying fluid being at least equal to the viscosity of the acid solution;
6) continuing the injection of the carrying fluid and the propping agent until propping agent is present in the fracture between at least part of those areas of the fracture walls wherein channels have been etched;
7) lowering the fluid pressure in the fracture, thereby allowing the fracture walls to be displaced to closing position, in which position the walls of the channels are supported by propping agent; and
8) lowering the viscosity of the viscous fluids.